(In-between) worlds
Do you know any Indian feminists or Bengali Nobel laureates? No? Then a look at Saptarshi Mallick's research may be of interest. For the second time in his academic career, the literary scholar has been drawn to Graz. His research focusses on how women writers view new, foreign cultures and people.
Saptarshi Mallick's research focuses on transnational travel writing, women's writing and translation studies. Mallick is particularly inspired by the work and influence of the Bengali philosopher, musician and poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 and whose philosophy and poetry of life affirmation met with great approval in both East and West. Tagore saw intercultural encounters in particular as a way of bringing people, indeed cultures, together. To discover what we have in common despite all our differences, to recognise the humanity in all of us and to break down barriers in the process.
Writing women
Back in 2020, Saptarshi Mallick spent five months researching in Graz on an Ernst Mach Fellowship - Worldwide. During this time, he worked on his post-doctoral project on the Indian philanthropist, social reformer and feminist, Lady Abala Bose, whose writings have received little scholarly attention to date. Lady Abala Bose belonged to Rabindranath Tagore's close circle. The work on this project progressed so well in Graz that after his return to India, Mr Mallick was able to complete his project and publish it in 2024 with Routledge under the title "Connecting Spaces: Travelogues and Letters of Lady Abala Bose".
Saptarshi Mallick's current research project is also dedicated to a literary interface between India and the West with a focus on Transnational Travel Writings. In particular, he wants to look at writings by Americans who travelled to India from 1850 onwards and Indians who travelled to America, such as those of the nurse Gretchen Green, whose autobiography was published in 1936 under the title "Whole World and Company".
Encounters
Although, or perhaps because, Mr Mallick's first stay in Graz was associated with some challenges - it coincided with the pandemic - he took a piece of Austria with him in his heart, as he says, because he was so encouraged and supported. In the course of his research, Saptarshi Mallick repeatedly came across connections between Austria and India, so it is hardly surprising that he returned to Austria four years after his first research visit. In April 2024, Saptarshi Mallick returned to the University of Graz to take up a position as Assistant Professor at the Institute of American Studies under his mentor and patron Stefan L. Brandt.
Saptarshi Mallick studied English (Master's, PhD) at the University of Calcutta. He was an Assistant Professor of English at the University of North Bengal (Sukanta Mahavidyalaya, Dhupguri, Jalpaiguri) from 2019 to 2024, during which time he also completed several fellowships, including a Visiting Fellowship at Oxford. He is Associate Editor of "Gitanjali and Beyond", an international, freely accessible e-journal of the Scottish Centre of Tagore Studies (ScoTs), Edinburgh. His most recent monograph was "Connecting Spaces: The Travelogues and Letters of Lady Abala Bose" (Routledge 2024). Since April 2024, Saptarshi Mallick has been working as an Assistent Professor at the Department of American Studies at the Faculty of Humanities in Graz.